Tag Archives: corporate media

We may now add murder to the deepening scandal surrounding the man who brought us, among much other tripe, Fox News:

Whistleblower in Murdoch Phone-Hacking Scandal Found Dead

On Monday, Sean Hoare, a former reporter who helped blow the whistle on the Murdoch-owned News of the World, was found dead in his home. Hoare had been the source for a New York Times story tying phone hacking to former News of the World editor Andy Coulson, who would later become director of communications for British Prime Minister David Cameron. Coulson was arrested as the scandal broke open earlier this month. Police say Hoare appears to have died of natural causes, but the determination had not lessened suspicion of foul play. Hoare not only talked about phone hacking, but phone tracking as well, or as he said they called in the newsroom “pinging,” where he said News of the World would pay police, he believed, to track individuals’ locations.

It is becoming evident that Murdoch’s revolting media empire, a veritable propaganda factory, has extensive ties to the wealthy and powerful, including government officials and the police force that is entrusted with maintaining public order. What is less apparent, however, is why exactly this has come to the fore now. What has Murdoch done to fall out of grace with the ruling elite?

Aside from an obligatory blurb announcing the disturbing – but hardly surprising – revelation that the crippled Fukushima reactors will remain out of human control for at least another 6 to 9 months, the media blackout continues:

(AGI) Tokyo – The Fukushima nuclear reactors will be stable within “6 to 9 months”, TEPCO forecasts. The Japanese utility giant that manages the ruined nuclear plant at Fukushima announced in a communique’ that the radioactive releases will be contained within 3 months, while the reactors’ cooling and the radiation control will be achieved in six to nine months.

The first priorities are to use nitrogen in order to avoid hydrogen explosions in Units One, Two and Three and to stop further radioactive water spills.

And that, apart from a generic recap of the history of the disaster (i.e., a giant earthquake and tsunami caused a partial meltdown – as if anyone forgot), is all we get. Three highly damaged nuclear reactors steadily oozing out radioactive waste for at least three months, with an indication that things could take much longer, and no further analysis, commentary or context is offered.